UNHCR signs agreement to grant work permits for 30,000 refugees in east Sudan

A group of refugees in eastern Sudan. Under the new agreement, many will be able to work and become more self-sufficient.

KASSALA, Sudan, October 2 (UNHCR) – Nearly 30,000 work permits will be granted to refugees in Sudan's Kassala state under an agreement with the UN refugee agency to improve the livelihoods of refugees and reduce their dependence on external assistance.

The agreement between UNHCR and Sudan's Commission for Refugees (COR), Kassala State, and Kassala Ministry of Finance – last week after negotiations that began in late 2011 – is an unprecedented step for refugees in Sudan. Work permits are essential for refugees to legally work and have the same employee rights as Sudanese citizens.

"The government of Sudan's endorsement of this agreement represents a huge milestone in the refugees' progress towards self-reliance and reducing dependency on external humanitarian aid," said Mohamed Qassim, head of UNHCR Sub-Office Kassala. "To this end, the agreement is of the upmost importance to accessing meaningful livelihood opportunities for the refugees in this region."

It is one of several recent interventions UNHCR has taken to increase the self-sufficiency of the mainly Eritrean refugees in eastern Sudan under the Transitional Solutions Initiative (TSI) in conjunction with the government of Sudan, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the World Bank. It has been supported by Denmark, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the United States, as well as the IKEA Foundation.

UNHCR will work with the Labour Office under the Ministry of Finance to inform refugees about workers' rights to prevent exploitation. Beyond this, the Labour Office will be strengthened to streamline procedures for issuing work permits to refugees and enhance its ability to gather information about the labour market.

"It is the duty and responsibility of the government of Sudan to provide a conducive environment and regulatory environment for refugees, with the support of the UN, enabling them to become active members of society and contribute to it," Abd Elmoiz Hassan Abdelgadir, acting minister of finance, said of the agreement.

Although Sudan's Asylum Act allows a refugee to work in any job except those related to security and national defence, work permits were difficult to obtain. In 2012, only 180 refugees were issued with the required documentation.

Consequently, many refugees found employment as casual labourers and were very disadvantaged. Refugees are also self-employed in sectors such as agriculture, livestock production and micro-business. Despite the refugees' efforts, a UNHCR assessment at the end of 2012 revealed that more than 52 per cent of the refugee population lived below the poverty line.

The TSI programme seeks to reduce refugee dependency on external aid by creating meaningful livelihood opportunities, so refugee camps can operate as self-sufficient communities. After an assessment by UNDP in 2012 revealed gaps in technical skills, the TSI programme trained refugees and members of host communities in vocational skills like driving, mechanics and mobile phone repair.

To date, the TSI has trained 1,263 refugees and 316 members of the host community. Issuing work permits and formally drawing refugees into labour markets will contribute to the Sudanese economy.

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Cold, Uncomfortable and Hungry in Calais

For years, migrants and asylum-seekers have flocked to the northern French port of Calais in hopes of crossing the short stretch of sea to find work and a better life in England. This hope drives many to endure squalid, miserable conditions in makeshift camps, lack of food and freezing temperatures. Some stay for months waiting for an opportunity to stow away on a vehicle making the ferry crossing.

Many of the town's temporary inhabitants are fleeing persecution or conflict in countries such as Afghanistan, Eritrea, Iraq, Sudan and Syria. And although these people are entitled to seek asylum in France, the country's lack of accommodation, administrative hurdles and language barrier, compel many to travel on to England where many already have family waiting.

With the arrival of winter, the crisis in Calais intensifies. To help address the problem, French authorities have opened a day centre as well as housing facilities for women and children. UNHCR is concerned with respect to the situation of male migrants who will remain without shelter solutions. Photographer Julien Pebrel recently went to Calais to document their lives in dire sites such as the Vandamme squat and next to the Tioxide factory.

Cold, Uncomfortable and Hungry in Calais

International Women's Day 2013

Gender equality remains a distant goal for many women and girls around the world, particularly those who are forcibly displaced or stateless. Multiple forms of discrimination hamper their enjoyment of basic rights: sexual and gender-based violence persists in brutal forms, girls and women struggle to access education and livelihoods opportunities, and women's voices are often powerless to influence decisions that affect their lives. Displaced women often end up alone, or as single parents, battling to make ends meet. Girls who become separated or lose their families during conflict are especially vulnerable to abuse.

On International Women's Day, UNHCR reaffirms its commitment to fight for women's empowerment and gender equality. In all regions of the world we are working to support refugee women's participation and leadership in camp committees and community structures, so they can assume greater control over their lives. We have also intensified our efforts to prevent and respond to sexual and gender-based violence, with a focus on emergencies, including by improving access to justice for survivors. Significantly, we are increasingly working with men and boys, in addition to women and girls, to bring an end to dangerous cycles of violence and promote gender equality.

These photographs pay tribute to forcibly displaced women and girls around the world. They include images of women and girls from some of today's major displacement crises, including Syria, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mali and Sudan.

International Women's Day 2013

The resilience and dignity of refugees in South Sudan

Since September 2011, more than 100,000 Sudanese refugees have fled bombing raids and fighting in their home country and taken refuge in South Sudan's Upper Nile state. Hosted in four refugee camps in Maban County, they face tough living conditions that have worsened during the rainy season. Staff from the UN refugee agency share some of their hardship in one of the most remote and difficult to access areas of South Sudan.

Grateful for the life-saving assistance they receive from the UN refugee agency and its humanitarian partners, the refugees are an example of the extraordinary resilience humans are capable of. The following photographs, taken by UNHCR staff, show the conditions in which they live during a daily battle to maintain their dignity and hope.